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Explanation in Agent-Based Modelling: Functions, Causality or Mechanisms?

Author

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  • Corinna Elsenbroich

Abstract

What kind of knowledge can we obtain from agent-based models? The claim that they help us to study the social world needs unpacking. I will defend agent-based modelling against a recent criticism that undermines its potential as a method to investigate underlying mechanisms and provide explanations of social phenomena. I show that the criticism is unwarranted and the problem can be resolved with an account of explanation that is associated with the social sciences anyway, the mechanism account of explanation developed in Machamer et al. (2000). I finish off discussing the mechanism account with relation to prediction in agent-based modelling.

Suggested Citation

  • Corinna Elsenbroich, 2012. "Explanation in Agent-Based Modelling: Functions, Causality or Mechanisms?," Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation, vol. 15(3), pages 1-1.
    • Handle: RePEc:jas:jasssj:2011-5-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Sebastiaan Tieleman, 2022. "Towards a Validation Methodology for Macroeconomic Agent-Based Models," Computational Economics, Springer;Society for Computational Economics, vol. 60(4), pages 1507-1527, December.

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